


Prudence

by Parrannnah



Series: Tumblr Ficlet Challenge [12]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Gen, M/M, seven virtues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 07:09:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16403681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Parrannnah/pseuds/Parrannnah
Summary: Entry for Day One: Prudence for the Seven Days, Seven Virtues ficlet challenge on Tumblr!





	Prudence

**Author's Note:**

> We're at it again! [Bear_shark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bear_shark/pseuds/Bear_shark) and I are doing a Seven Days, Seven Virtues challenge over on Tumblr, and will be crossposting here. Come join us!

Sarah Rogers had always been the angel on Steve’s shoulder.

She was smart and kind, selfless and giving, and never was she mocking or hurtful in her corrections in the deficiencies of Steve’s character.

Not that she ever even saw them as deficiencies, he knew, just “things to practice, Steven, love. Like arithmetic or spelling.”

And practice Steve had tried, truly, especially when he was young. Bucky had helped. He had possessed a much cooler head than Steve could ever strive for, really, and had picked up Sarah’s favorite refrain early on. “Courageous or reckless, Stevie?” he’d say, eyebrow cocked and irritatingly calm as Steve built up a head of steam over one thing or another.

Courageous or reckless. Distinguishing when acts were courageous, as opposed to reckless or cowardly, is an act of prudence, and for that reason, it is classified as a cardinal, pivotal virtue.

More than once, the simple question helped guide him from doing something reckless. More often, though, it solidified his surety in what he wanted to do.

He got better as he got older, through practice and sheer stubbornness, though sometimes the recklessness outweighed the courageousness. And sometimes he and Bucky classified things differently.

The first time Steve had kissed him, hands shaking where they were gripping the metal grating as they sat on the fire escape and watch the fireworks on Steve's fourteenth birthday, he definitely classified it as reckless. When Bucky was finished kissing him back, Bucky praised him for being courageous enough to do it first.

When Steve had gotten him back to camp after Azzano, Bucky had whipped around and looked Steve straight in the face, eyes blazing like holy fire and asked Steve in the most serious voice he’d ever used, ”Reckless or courageous, Stevie?” Tears were welling up, and Bucky’s voice was getting thick. “Cause it seems pretty goddamn reckless from over here.”

The Valkyrie was definitely cowardly, no matter what history would say later, and Steve would be the first to admit it. But he'd be damned if he lived one second longer without Bucky.

When he woke up in the future, well, not a single thing he did would have shown his earlier commitment to the first of the Cardinal Virtues. Prudence was nothing he bothered himself with now, not when he had nothing and no one in this new century to be prudent for.

And then, suddenly, he did.

When Bucky came in from the cold, he was twitchy, nervous. Couldn't keep his gaze from darting all over, checking and checking exits and sightlines. The Avengers were scattered across the common room, waiting to see what he would do.

Steve had stalked forward, slow as molasses, hands in plain sight. ”Heya, Bucky. You remember me?”

Slowly, Bucky had drawn his gaze back from its restless circling. “You gotta tell me, Stevie,” he’d said, fear and uncertainty writ large across his features. “I’m no good at it anymore.”

“Sure, Buck, whatever you need. Always.” Steve took another couple steps forward, just within arms reach of Bucky now.

Bucky swallowed and looked away before snapping his eyes back, boring into Steve’s own. ”Reckless or courageous? Is what I'm doing reckless or courageous?”

Steve had Bucky wrapped in his arms before he made the conscious decision to move.

“Courageous, Bucky. Definitely courageous.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come hang out with me on [Tumblr!](https://kat-atomic.tumblr.com/)  
> EDIT: I’m now on [Twitter!](https://twitter.com/KatAtomic2/)  
> Things are weird and wonderful over on Fandom Twitter so come hang out!


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